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street food ’

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Editor’s note: While name of this bakery has recently been changed to Galata Simitçisi, nothing else has changed: the same usta is still baking the same crispy, fresh simit.

Let’s hear it for the (deceptively simple) simit. With only a few ingredients to its name, this sesame-encrusted bread ring has gone on to become the most ubiquitous snack in Istanbul, the undisputed heavyweight champ of the city’s street food scene. In fact, in recent years, the plucky simit has gone to even greater heights: once only sold from carts and by itinerant vendors carrying wooden trays on their heads, the snack is now the headlining act at several new, nationwide fast-food chains with names such as Simit Sarayı (Simit Palace) and Simit Dünyası (Simit World) (and has even made its way to New York).

But despite its crisp exterior and tough street cred, the simit is actually a softie. Continue…

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Hanging On to History: Edible Nostalgia in Samatya
no responses - Posted
05.08.18
That much of the past seems to stick to Samatya is a marvel in Istanbul, a city being rebuilt and “restored” at an alarming pace.
First, there’s the question of its name. Occupying a stretch of the Marmara Sea and squeezed between the old city walls and Kumkapı, an area home to a rotating cast of eclectic restaurants, the neighborhood still ... continue

Spring Surprises: Skewering the First Fruits in Istanbul
no responses - Posted
04.25.18
It was the first of April and an absolutely pristine Istanbul spring day, the kind where one can break a slight sweat walking up a hill then catch a cool breeze in a nearby patch of shade. Returning to the city from a lovely weekend on Büyükada, we were smitten with spring and wanted to indulge in its finest offerings.
In ... continue

Farewell, Pando: An Istanbul Culinary Legend Passes On
no responses - Posted
04.16.18
It’s Saturday around lunchtime and business as usual in the bustling Beşiktaş Çarşı neighborhood, as crowds of mostly younger people fill the narrow streets. Down on Mumcu Bakkal Sokak, a pedestrian-only street lined with miniscule shops, a line around the block has been formed by those eager to get into one of the city’s best döner spots.
For many of those ... continue

Bağdat Ocakbaşı: Licensed to Grill
no responses - Posted
04.09.18
Istanbul’s T1 tramway is relatively pleasant if you can find a seat, but borders on unbearable if you are on your feet.
Back in 2015, we wrote about a trip we took from the line’s first stop all the way to one of its last, which lies way out in the district of Güngören. By the time the tram has made ... continue

Dose & Istos Café: Greek Revival
no responses - Posted
03.30.18
A café at its best is so much more than the sum of its parts: it’s a place where people can easily mingle, share ideas, and dertleşmek, or commiserate over their troubles, all while imbibing caffeine. At the same time, it’s a place where visitors might feel an invisible thread of common beliefs connecting them, an unspoken camaraderie, even if ... continue

Back to the Land: Urban Turks Tackle Rural Life
no responses - Posted
03.23.18
When Buket Ulukut first moved from Istanbul to a rural plot of land in the foothills of the Taurus Mountains in southern Turkey, she was leading a double life.
“I’d be taking calls from clients in Europe while out amidst the rows of peppers and eggplants, hoping they didn’t hear the rooster crowing in the background,” says Ulukut, who worked in ... continue

Semt Pazarları, Civic Life Perfected
no responses - Posted
03.09.18
“Two kilos five liraaa! Two kilos five liraaa!” bellowed a young and exuberant vendor of tomatoes to the ongoing stream of frugal-minded shoppers making their way through the snaking Tarlabaşı Sunday Market.
Hundreds of sellers of fresh produce, dairy, seafood, kitchenware, clothing, smuggled tobacco, jewelry, fresh baked goods and numerous other items set up side by side in the central Istanbul ... continue

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Istanbul’s Top 5 Street Foods: #3 – Kızılkayalar’s Wet Burger 8 responses - Posted 12.02.09
Editor’s note: This is the third installment in our look at Istanbul’s top five street foods.
The sign may read “Wet Burger” (“Islak Burger” in Turkish), but there’s a lot more to say about Kızılkayalar’s moist mini-patties than that. How about “Heavenly Slider,” “Binge Drinker’s Delight,” or “The Best 2 Lira ...continue

Istanbul’s Top 5 Street Foods: #4 – Maya Kumpir 7 responses - Posted 12.01.09
Editor's note: This is the second installment in our look at Istanbul's top fıve street foods. It was written by Jason D. Jones, an American expat living in Istanbul.
Although it’s been a staple food for many civilizations for over 2,000 years, the potato has largely been relegated to the role ...continue

The Simit Has Landed 6 responses - Posted 10.29.09 New York magazine reports two potentially earthshaking pieces of news. First: Istanbul baklava maker Güllüoğlu has opened up a branch on the east side of Manhattan. Two: they are serving freshly baked simits ("looking a little like the secret love child of the bagel and the street pretzel," as the ...continue

Döner: Heavy Rotation 1 response - Posted 10.16.09
Editor’s note: This guest post was written by Atilla Kapar, author of the blog Türkiye ve Dünyadan Lezzetler (“Good Tastes from Turkey and the World”) and a Turkish food enthusiast who, as he describes it, “reviews lesser-known restaurants in Istanbul that offer great-tasting food.” Atilla is a graduate of Bosphorus University ...continue

Güngör Büfe: Sultan of Sandwich 1 response - Posted 09.25.09
The büfe is a prominent part of the Istanbul streetscape, playing a vital role in the daily life of the city. These are corner stores where you can get a can of beer, a single cigarette, a lotto ticket and, often, a panini-like grilled cheese sandwich. At most büfes, food ...continue

Mehmet Ercik’s Sucuk Sandwich Stand: Top Dog 1 response - Posted 08.07.09
Just as London’s Savile Row is known for its tailors, and New York’s Canal Street for its cheap handbags, Kadırgalar Caddesi in Istanbul is surely known to all as sucuk central. On any given evening, in this street running between the hills of Maçka Parkı and the nearby Açıkhava Tiyatrosu, ...continue